alex woke an hour or so later, demanding to be fed. erik exited the freeway and pulled into the first hamburger place they came to. he opted to stay in the car while daisy and her brother went inside.

after a few minutes, he got out of the car to stretch his legs. he was hungry, too, he mused, but not for a cheeseburger and fries. he wanted something warm and fresh. the thought had no sooner crossed his mind than a couple of teenagers approached, heading for the restaurant. it took only moments to hypnotize the two of them and lead them into the shadows.

erik fed quickly, released them from his spell, and was back in the car before daisy and her brother returned.

"i bought you a burger and a coke," daisy said, thrusting a brown paper sack into his hand.

erik looked at her, one brow arched in amusement as he muttered his thanks, then pulled out of the parking lot.

"you'd think we could stop long enough to eat inside," alex said. "i don't know about you two, but i could use a break."

"forget it," daisy said, unwrapping her cheeseburger. "i want to put as much distance between us and rhys as possible."

"smart girl," erik murmured.

"what do you know about it?" alex asked brusquely.

"just what daisy told me," erik replied mildly.

"yeah?" alex said, frowning. "just what did she tell you?"

"just that some pervert named costain is after her, and that she's afraid of him."

"that's all she said?"

erik shrugged. "pretty much. the guy sounds like some kind of psycho to me, and that makes him dangerous."

"i can look after her."

"yeah," erik said, unable to keep the sneer out of his voice. "i saw how well you did that the last time you and costain tangled. i don't want the same thing happening to daisy."

daisy glanced over her shoulder. alex's jaw was so tight she thought it might crack.

when the silence got unbearable, daisy turned on the radio, then scanned the stations until she found one playing soft rock, hoping it would ease the tension in the car.

it didn't, but try as she might, she couldn't think of anything to say. some time later, erik pulled into a gas station. daisy and alex got out of the car to use the restroom and pick up some snacks, leaving erik to fill the tank. while they were gone, erik tossed the hamburger and coke daisy had bought him into the trash.

the tank was full and he was standing by the driver's side door when daisy and her brother emerged from the mini-mart. he felt a twinge of jealousy as he watched them talking and laughing together. he had never had any brothers or sisters. his parents, his wife, and his children were long dead. he had lived alone so long, he could scarcely remember what it was like to be part of a family, to share a house with people you loved, people who loved and cared about you in return.

"are you sure you don't want anything?" daisy asked as she climbed into the passenger seat.

"i'm sure."

"you don't eat much, do you?" alex asked, settling himself in the backseat.

"i eat when i'm hungry," erik replied. sliding behind the wheel, he started the car and pulled onto the street.

moments later, they were back on the highway.

it was near dawn when erik pulled off the freeway onto a side road. "one of you will have to drive for a while," he said. "i need to get some rest."

"suits me," alex said. climbing out of the backseat, he stretched his back and shoulders. "i was getting claustrophobic back there."

erik sent daisy a meaningful glance as he took alex's place in the backseat. she nodded, silently letting him know that she would make sure the windows stayed up.

he winked at her, then reached for the blanket on the floor. drawing it up over his shoulders and head, erik closed his eyes and felt himself falling into nothingness.

alex jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "he's kind of strange, don't you think?"

daisy's heart skipped a beat, afraid that they were about to have a conversation she definitely didn't want any part of. "strange? no, i don't think so. why?"

"well, let's see. he sleeps all day. i've never seen him eat. he wears a lot of black." alex shrugged. "remind you of anyone? or anything?"

"so he's a little eccentric," daisy said, struggling to keep her voice calm. "he's an artist."

"uh-huh."

daisy turned sideways in her seat. "just what are you trying to say? or not say?"

"well, if he wasn't hanging around with you, i'd say he was a vampire. but i know if that was the case, you would have told me, because keeping a secret like that would put both of our lives in danger. and i know you'd never do that, would you?"

daisy looked out the window so alex couldn't see her face. she was a horrible liar and everyone in the family knew it.

"would you?"

"of course not."

alex grunted softly. "you're hiding something, daisy mae, and i'll find out what it is, sooner or later."

she hoped it was later. much later.

"we need to stop for gas. and i'm ready for some breakfast," alex muttered, glancing at his watch. "or lunch."

alex found a drive-through burger place for lunch. for appearance's sake, daisy ordered a hamburger for erik, even though she knew he wouldn't eat it. twenty minutes later, they were back on the road again.

"so," alex said between bites of his chili burger, "how long have you known him?"

"erik? not long."

"how long?"

"i don't know. a couple of weeks."

"two weeks? that's it? geez, daisy, the way you two have been carrying on..." alex shook his head. "two lousy weeks."

it seemed longer than that, daisy thought. sometimes it seemed as if she had known erik forever...forever, she thought, smiling inwardly. he could very possibly live forever, as long as alex and her father didn't find out what he was.

it was late afternoon when alex pulled off the highway in search of a place for dinner. they hadn't had anything to eat except an ice cream cone since morning and she was starving. she wondered if erik needed to feed and how he would manage it here.

now she felt the tension growing inside her as alex pulled into the parking lot of a buffet restaurant. the sun hadn't set yet. she really didn't want to see erik go up in smoke, yet alex would expect erik to be hungry by now, since he hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch. her heart was pounding with dread by the time alex parked the car.

before alex could say anything, she reached over the backseat and shook erik's shoulder. "hey," she called softly.

erik woke immediately. pulling the blanket away from his face, he looked at her and smiled. "what's going on?"

"we're stopping for an early dinner."

erik looked out the window. it was an hour until sunset. "give me a minute," he said, glancing at daisy's brother. "my leg's asleep."

"we'll meet you inside," daisy said. "come on, alex, i'm hungry."

alex didn't seem the least bit suspicious as he followed her into the restaurant. he told the cashier a third party would be joining them, paid the bill, and the two of them picked up their trays.

as she filled her plate with salad, daisy wondered how erik would get into the restaurant without being burned by the sun, and what excuse he would use for not eating.

she was trying to decide between ham or roast beef when erik appeared behind her.

"so," he said, "what looks good?"

alex was standing in front of daisy. he turned at the sound of erik's voice, his gaze moving over the corn and potatoes on erik's tray.

"i'm having the ham," daisy said brightly. "the roast is too rare for my taste."

erik grinned at her. "it looks just right for me."

they found a table in a corner, away from the windows. daisy and erik sat side by side. alex sat across from them, a curious light in his eyes as he watched erik.

"how much longer until we get home?" daisy asked, hoping her nervousness didn't show.

erik speared a slice of meat with his fork. "we should be there by late tomorrow night."

daisy stared at him. was he really going to eat? could he?

she glanced at alex, who had also chosen roast beef, then back at erik.

"medium rare," alex said, taking a bite. "just the way i like it."

erik nodded, though he hadn't eaten a thing.

they made small talk for a few minutes, then alex went back for seconds, leaving daisy and erik alone at the table.

"what's going on?" she asked. erik hadn't eaten a thing, but alex seemed totally oblivious to that fact.

"just a little vampire magic," erik said. "i planted the suggestion in your brother's mind that i'm eating."

"you can do that?"

erik nodded. had it not been necessary to allay alex's growing suspicions, he would have waited for daisy and her brother in the car. the sound of too many beating hearts, the scent of warm blood combined with the unpleasant odors of so much food, played havoc with his senses and his self-control.

"how did you get in the restaurant without getting burned?"

"i transported myself from the car to here." he would have preferred to do the same thing when he had followed her to the mall. it would have been less painful, but he wouldn't have been able to track her scent that way.

daisy nodded. while growing up, she and her brothers had heard numerous stories of the remarkable powers that vampires possessed. but it was one thing to hear about them, or read about them, and quite another to know that they weren't stories at all, but fact, and that the man sitting beside her was capable of things she had always regarded as myths.

alex returned a short time later, the plates on his tray piled high. "are you two finished already?"

"not quite," daisy said. "i want to sample their chocolate cake. and maybe that apple pie. they both look really good."